Showing 71 - 80 of 82
Beijing sends Kim message
News, Editorial, Published on 04/04/2016
» Last month was probably a pivotal time for the bellicose and unfriendly Pyongyang regime of Kim Jong-Un. On March 1, North Korean workers took a large shipment of coal and ore to the Chinese border. It seemed to be a standard transaction involving North Korea's single biggest export, using port facilities in China. But for the first time, China turned the shipment back.
Media visas battle 'unreal'
News, Editorial, Published on 29/02/2016
» The Foreign Ministry has begun a troubling campaign that focusses on the foreign media. Technically, it involves re-defining the requirements needed for journalists and media workers to obtain and extend M-class visas to enter and reside in Thailand. But while the changes are described as technical, even the foreign minister admits the real aim is to make it harder for the foreign press to work in Thailand. This is not acceptable.
Slave trade gains are real
News, Editorial, Published on 24/02/2016
» The government is preparing to submit information for the 2016 edition of the US report on human trafficking. For once, this submission will have something interesting, beyond vague promises and careful commitments. The military regime has made real achievements against the slave trade. But as efforts at home yield results, President Barack Obama and the US Congress are raising the bar further. The warnings are clear that much remains to be done to get the upper hand over this human exploitation.
Come clean on Anocha
News, Editorial, Published on 27/01/2016
» The Sundance Film Festival, currently under way in the US state of Utah, has two items of strong interest to Thailand this year. The first is the presence on the jury of Apichatpong "Joe" Weerasethakul, the film director who has won top awards abroad and the ban of the censor at home. This latest, notable achievement deserves praise, but the premiere of a British-made documentary is arguably even more important.
Immigration gets overhaul
News, Editorial, Published on 26/01/2016
» In just under two months, the Immigration Bureau will officially begin arrests and tough new penalties against foreign law-breakers. The programme is in the hands of Pol Lt Gen Nathathorn Prousoontorn, one of the most experienced immigration officers.
Securing the tourism sector
News, Editorial, Published on 19/01/2016
» In an under-achieving and worrying economy, there has been one clear success. The statistics are impressive from every angle. Last year, 29.88 million tourists put 2.21 trillion baht into the economy.
Police image taints ruling
News, Editorial, Published on 30/12/2015
» As expected, the Royal Thai Police Bureau has closed ranks to strongly defend their investigation work that convinced the Samui Provincial Court to find two Myanmar migrant workers guilty over the murders of two British tourists in September last year and put them on death row.
A plan for flying safe
News, Editorial, Published on 23/12/2015
» The recent well-publicised and consequential talks and reports over aviation safety often seemed somewhat vague. No airline was mentioned as unsafe. But efforts are clearly are needed to upgrade agencies under the Transport Ministry, including the Directorate of Civil Aviation. The safety issue has now got to a stage that directly affects the flying public, both foreign and domestic.
Agents of mistreatment
News, Editorial, Published on 02/12/2015
» Big business and the government are facing inconvenient charges from abroad that show how much more must be done in battling human trafficking and associated labour abuses.
A good lesson from Tunisia
News, Editorial, Published on 12/10/2015
» In recent years, the Nobel Peace Prize committee has been criticised for handing out the world’s most respected honour as if it were a political bauble. Last week, it made no such mistake. The four-part Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet is more than just a deserving Peace Prize award recipient. The men and women - and the union they formed - is a democratic ideal. It can even serve as a model in many places. Thailand could try to replicate it, but it would take enormous effort to succeed. The Arab Spring began in Tunisia in 2010 when a street vendor set himself on fire in a political protest. By 2011, revolution was not just underway, but already beginning to wane and to fail. Other countries followed.